November 4, 2024 - US election news | CNN Politics

2024 presidential election results

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump speak at campaign rallies Monday, November 4.
Watch CNN’s coverage of the 2024 election
- Source: CNN

What we covered here

Trump on the brink of 270: Donald Trump will win the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina, CNN projects, shrinking Kamala Harris’ possible paths to victory. In a speech to supporters, Trump said he would usher in a “golden age of America.” CNN has yet to project a winner. Trump and Harris each need at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

Counting continues: Vote counting is still underway in key states, including in the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. Meanwhile, Republicans will win control in the Senate, a flip that shifts the balance of power in Washington.

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Russian embassy denies accusations of Moscow’s meddling in US election

The Russian flag flies above the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, DC, in February 2022.

Russia’s embassy in the United States has denied accusations of Moscow’s interference in the US presidential election after authorities said hoax bomb threats to polling stations appeared to originate in Russia.

The FBI confirmed Tuesday that bomb threats to polling locations in several states likely stemmed from Russian email domains. Though the FBI said none of the threats were determined to be credible, they forced the temporary closure of several polling places.

It comes after US intelligence last month assessed that Russian operatives were behind a fake video purporting to show someone destroying mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania in late October.

The Russian embassy in Washington said the US accusations were “slanderous and baseless.”

The embassy said it “did not receive any evidence in its contacts with US officials or even any requests regarding the story being promoted in the press,” and accused US authorities and media of “hysterics” over alleged Russian disinformation related to elections.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly denied any electoral interference by Moscow, saying the allegations were “absolutely unfounded,” according to RIA Novosti.

CNN has reported that a spinoff of the Russian “troll factory” that targeted the 2016 US presidential election appeared to be at the heart of a disinformation campaign trying to sway Western and especially US audiences, according to a joint investigation with researchers at Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub.

Remaining absentee ballots beginning to be processed and counted in Detroit, city official says

Detroit voters at the polls inside Central United Methodist Church on November 5 in downtown Detroit.

Some of the remaining ballots left to be tabulated in Detroit are being brought into the city’s counting center, a top official said in the early hours of Wednesday.

City election workers had been waiting for a final batch of 4,500 ballots to be delivered. A portion of those ballots are now in the convention center where votes are being counted, while other ballots from that tranche are still undergoing signature verification before they can be tabulated.

“That’s it tonight,” Detroit Elections Department Chief Operating Officer Daniel Baxter told reporters, adding that as signatures are verified on the outstanding ballots, they’ll be brought into the center to be counted.

The 86,000 absentee ballots that Detroit was able to count ahead of Election Day, thanks to Michigan’s new laws, have already been reported to Wayne County, Baxter said.

About 14,000 absentee ballots were received in the city today, including the 4,500 that are being processed currently.

Trump praises Elon Musk in early morning address to supporters

Elon Musk steps up onto the stage as former President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally from behind bullet resistant glass at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds on October 5, in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Former President Donald Trump praised tech billionaire Elon Musk as a “super genius,” speaking to supporters early Wednesday morning.

Trump told his supporters that Musk’s Starlink satellite service helped save “a lot of lives” during Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southeastern United States in October.

“I said Elon they need it really, really badly in North Carolina. Can you get it? He had that there so fast, it was incredible. It saved a lot of lives. They saved a lot of lives,” Trump said.

Trump then described Musk to the audience as “a character, he’s a special guy, he’s a super genius. We have to protect our geniuses, we don’t have that many of them.”

Some context: In October, when Trump told reporters he asked for the communications access, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had already announced that 40 Starlink satellite systems were in place, with an additional 140 on the way. Musk’s Starlink is a government contractor, and Musk has been a stalwart supporter of Trump.

"God spared my life for a reason," Trump told supporters

Former first lady Melania Trump, former President Donald Trump and Barron Trump at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Former President Donald Trump has said that people tell him that “God spared my life for a reason.”

“And that reason was to save our country and restore America to greatness. And now we’re going to fulfill that mission together,” he told supporters early Wednesday morning.

“The task before us will not be easy, but I will bring every ounce of energy, spirit, and fight that I have in my soul to the job that you’ve entrusted to me,” he added.

CNN Projection: Harris wins Connecticut

Vice President Kamala Harris will win Connecticut, CNN projects.

There are seven electoral votes at stake in Connecticut. It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the 2024 presidential election.

Who won in 2020: President Joe Biden carried the state and won the general election.

Vance thanks Trump for allowing him to join campaign

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance waves at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance thanked former President Donald Trump for allowing him to join his campaign.

Talking to a crowd of supporters early Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Vance thanked Trump for the “trust that you placed in me.”

“I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America,” Vance said, though several states are still counting votes.

He promised that he and Trump would now “lead the greatest economic comeback in American history.”

CNN has not yet called the race for the former president, and votes are still being counted in several states.

Trump celebrates Republicans taking control of Senate

Former President Donald Trump celebrated Republicans winning control of the Senate while speaking at an address to supporters early Wednesday morning. CNN has projected the GOP will win control of the Senate in a significant victory for the party.

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate. We have taken back control of the Senate – wow that’s good,” he told his supporters.

CNN has not yet called the race for the former president and votes are still being counted across several states, however according to CNN projections he only needs four more electoral votes to win the presidency.

“And the Senate races in Montana, Nevada, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were all won by the MAGA movement they helped so much,” Trump said.

“The number of victories in the Senate was absolutely incredible,” he added.

Trump thanks the American people

Former President Donald Trump stands on stage joined by his family at the Palm Beach County Convention Center during an election night watch party on November 6 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Donald Trump on early Wednesday morning ET addressed his supporters in Florida.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president, and your 45th president,” he said.

CNN has not yet called the presidential race.

“I will fight for you, for your family and your future every single day. I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America,” he told his supporters in Florida.

Trump tells Americans that this moment will "help this country heal"

Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Donald Trump told his supporters early Wednesday that this moment will “help this country heal.”

According to CNN projections, Trump only needs four more electoral votes to win the presidency. CNN has not yet called the race for the former president and votes are still being counted in several states.

“We have a country that needs help and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders and we’re going to fix everything about our country,” Trump said.

“It’s now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing… look what happened, is this crazy?” Trump added.

At a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump promised Americans that “every single day I will be fighting for you” and said he would usher in the “golden age of America.”

Trump was joined on stage by members of his family and his wife, Melania Trump, as well as his running mate, JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

This post has been updated with additional remarks from Trump.

NOW: Trump addresses supporters

Former President Donald Trump arrives with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Donald Trump is currently delivering remarks to a group of his supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.

His team moved members from the Mar-a-Lago viewing party to the convention center earlier this evening, according to a source familiar with the matter.

CNN projected that Trump will win the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina. Voting continues in several key states.

Trump needs 4 more electoral votes to win presidency, CNN projects. Here’s where things stand

Based on CNN’s current projections, Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to victory is shrinking.

Former President Donald Trump has 266 electoral votes and Harris has 188 electoral votes, CNN projects. That means Trump only needs to win four more electoral votes to win the presidency.

CNN has projected that Trump will win several key battleground states — including North Carolina, Georgia, and more pivotally, Pennsylvania.

Here’s the latest look at where things stand:

Screenshot 2024-11-06 at 2.12.28 AM.png

CNN Projection: Trump wins 1 additional electoral vote in Nebraska

Former President Donald Trump will win an additional electoral vote in Nebraska, making his total count four out of five, CNN projects.

There are five electoral votes at stake in Nebraska. Nebraska is one of only two states (Maine is the other) to allow its electoral votes to be split.

Two of Nebraska’s five electoral votes go to the winner of the statewide vote. One electoral vote goes to the popular vote winner in each of the state’s three congressional districts.

It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the 2024 presidential election.

Who won in 2020: Trump carried the state, and President Joe Biden won the general election.

CNN Projection: Harris wins 1 electoral vote in Nebraska

Vice President Kamala Harris will win one electoral vote in Nebraska, CNN projects, and Donald Trump won four electoral votes in Nebraska.

There are five electoral votes at stake in Nebraska. Nebraska is one of only two states (Maine is the other) to allow its electoral votes to be split.

Two of Nebraska’s five electoral votes go to the winner of the statewide vote. One electoral vote goes to the popular vote winner in each of the state’s three congressional districts.

It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the 2024 presidential election.

Who won in 2020: Former President Donald Trump carried the state, and President Joe Biden won the general election.

CNN Projection: Trump wins Pennsylvania

Former President Donald Trump attends a campaign event, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 29.

Former President Donald Trump will win the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, CNN projects.

There are 19 electoral votes at stake in Pennsylvania. It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the 2024 presidential election.

Who won in 2020: President Joe Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, flipped the state in 2020, winning by just over 80,000 votes. In 2016, Trump became the first Republican to win Pennsylvania since George H.W. Bush in 1988, carrying the state by just over 44,000 votes.

Pennsylvania is the most important battleground state of the 2024 election. Harris and Trump have made the commonwealth’s electoral votes central to their respective paths to victory.

Trump’s team felt confident this morning — but nowhere near this level

Donald Trump’s campaign team woke up confident Tuesday morning as polls opened and voting got underway. But multiple campaign aides that CNN spoke to didn’t expect his wins to be anywhere near where the numbers are tonight.

Aides constantly predicted it would be close — potentially take days — but in the end, Trump would pull it off.

Trump was even directly counseled he likely wouldn’t have a decision tonight.

Now, that has all changed.

Nevada officials counting in-person ballots cast on Election Day

Officials in Nevada are working on tallying votes that were cast in-person on Election Day. The last voter in the state cast their ballot at 9:45 p.m. local time, according to Clark County Registrar Lorena Portillo.

Authorities will “start processing mail ballots” in Clark County tomorrow, Portillo said at a news conference Tuesday.

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said that “there were no major issues across the state” in the election process.

Aguilar had previously told CNN that some 11,000 ballots still needed verification and needed to be cured, in part because many signatures didn’t match with what authorities had on file. Aguilar said many young people struggled to write their signature because they “live in a digital world.”

To cure their ballots, voters can go to a newly launched website, cure.nv.gov, he added.

Magic Wall analysis: With Trump taking North Carolina and Georgia, Harris needs to win Pennsylvania

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

With former President Donald Trump projected to win in North Carolina and Georgia — and leading in all other battleground states — Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to victory is narrowing and winning in Pennsylvania a must, CNN’s John King said.

While Harris could put together a path to victory with a combination of the “Blue Wall” states — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — and the Sun Belt states — Nevada and Arizona — “there’s no way to get there without Pennsylvania,” King said early Wednesday morning.

With 93% of votes counted in Pennsylvania, Trump has just over a 3 point lead. Though the vice president could still build her lead in the democratic stronghold of Philadelphia, staking a win on outstanding votes there is “it’s improbable at the moment, let’s be honest, but it’s not impossible.”

Philadelphia county at around 1:00 a.m. had reported 78% of its votes — 78.1% for Harris and 20.7% for Trump. Former President Joe Biden won that county 81.4% to Trump’s 17.9% in 2020.

Not only did Trump improve by 3 points in this major democratic city, the former president has generally over performed over 2020 by 3 points in red counties he won in 2020, too, King said.

Republicans will flip the Senate, CNN projects, shifting balance of power in Washington

Republicans will win the US Senate majority, CNN projects, significantly shifting the balance of power in Washington.

A GOP majority will put the Senate in position to boost a possible Donald Trump presidency or impede a possible Kamala Harris administration if the Democratic vice president wins the White House.

With several races still to be declared, Republicans now have 51 seats in the chamber and will assume control, under a yet-to-be chosen Republican leader when the new Congress convenes in January.

The Senate takeover was the first big success of the night for Republicans, with the fight between Trump and Harris yet to be resolved and the destiny of the House of Representatives, where the GOP is trying to defend its narrow majority, also up in the air.

The new GOP Senate will be in a position to back Trump’s agenda if he wins a second term and to resume the ex-president’s significant reshaping of the judiciary with scores more conservatives if he ends up in the Oval Office. Should Harris prevail, she would face problems in confirming members of her Cabinet and judicial nominees, and the GOP Senate could thwart her domestic plans.

The Republican march to control started early on election night when West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was projected to pick up the Senate seat vacated by retiring Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin. Democrats had stopped contesting the seat after Manchin announced he wouldn’t seek reelection.

In Ohio, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has served in the chamber for three terms, will lose his reelection bid, CNN projects, in a state that has gone from a perennial political bellwether during his tenure to a deep red stronghold. The new Republican senator will be businessman Bernie Moreno, a vehement Trump supporter.

Read more.

Why these 3 Arizona Republican voters are backing Trump

CNN spoke to Republican voters in Scottsdale, Arizona, about how they’re voting and why:

Denzel Kismayo, 30: Kismayo and his family immigrated to the US from Kenya. A registered Republican in Arizona who voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, Kismayo said he’s supporting Donald Trump because he believes the former president will make the economy better, lower the price of gas and groceries, and that other countries respected the US under his presidency. He also liked that Trump took on criminal reform. But he felt that women should make their own decisions on the issue of abortion.

Mary Wepprecht, 59: “The last four years have been hard. The economy was terrible. The border was not good at all,” Wepprecht said on why she voted for Trump. She said that she knows more people who are now no longer afraid to voice their support for Trump.

Bruce Twersky, 45: A Trump Force Captain, Twersky told CNN that he has knocked on more than hundred doors in the Phoenix area and been part of the campaign’s efforts to get Republicans to vote early. He said he’s “100% confident” that Trump will win Arizona. He cited the US border security and Israel as the two issues that matter most to him, approving of Trump’s immigration proposals and support for Israel.